One of the wonderful traits God gave my wife, Tracie, is that she’s a “foodie,” that is, she loves to be in the kitchen making meals. This works out well, since I love to eat what she makes. Her meals seem to always turn out like the winning meal in a Food Network challenge.

When it comes to Thanksgiving morning, Tracie wakes up early to begin preparing the greatest meal of the year. I learned early in our marriage that it was in my best interest not to disrupt this process. Tracie works tirelessly, ensuring the turkey is golden brown and well-basted while each side dish looks like the highlighted feature of a food magazine. At the table, everything looks divine, the savory aroma blankets the house, it is a meal fit for royalty.

It’s helpful to know that Thanksgiving at our home is also the official start of the Christmas season. To avoid disrupting Tracie’s work in the kitchen, I head to the garage and pull down the tubs of Christmas decorations we accumulated over our seventeen Thanksgivings together. I listen to music while checking strings of lights, sorting through ornaments and garland, and untangling extension cords. To be sure, I am no Clark Griswold of Merced. No, my goal is simple – calmly accomplishing a necessary task while staying out of the kitchen!

For us, Thanksgiving is a day for family, food & reflection. With each passing year, I am more grateful for the gifts God has given me in this life. I have been blessed beyond measure with my wife and family, my friends, and my work. I have seen God’s goodness and provision in ways that only He can provide. Thank you will never be enough; I simply strive to make the most of every breath He gives me on this earth to glorify Him!